Home
by FadingIntoYou
Summary: Marshall has a tough transfer and just needs to be home. What will keep him going and meet him there? T just for safety or paranoia


So, I advise you listen to Home by Daughtry on repeat for this one, it just seemed to fit. Hope you enjoy it and review :]

* * *

_I'm staring out into the night,  
Trying to hide the pain.  
I'm going to the place where love  
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.  
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain._

"Flight 107 to Albuquerque now boarding"

Marshall heard this and heaved his sore limbs out of the not so comfortable chair to get on the plane. His witness transport to Virginia was harder than usual, and with Mary not being able to go with him for the first time in 5 years, he was emotionally and physically drained. As he headed to his seat, a flight attendant not so subtly asked him if there was _anything _she could do for him. He politely declined everything, and turned to face the window as he pulled his iPod out of his pocket. He had a playlist for when he missed Albuquerque, but this was more of a missing Mary problem that made him pull it out and press play. As the song began, he ran a hand through his messy hair settled into his seat. As he heard the first few seconds of the first song, he knew that it was the one thing he needed right now to feel close to Mary, and watched as the dark clouds flew by and slipped into a restless sleep.

_Well I'm going home,  
Back to the place where I belong,  
And where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from.  
No, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old,  
So I'm going home.  
Well I'm going home._

_The miles are getting longer, it seems,  
The closer I get to you.  
I've not always been the best man or friend for you.  
But your love remains true.  
And I don't know why.  
You always seem to give me another try._

As Marshall sat in his SUV, it took all he had not to cry from exhaustion. The plane landed at 2 in the morning like it was supposed to, but that was really the only thing that went right. The airport lost his luggage from Virginia, they charged him for a week's worth of parking when it should have been taken care of due to his car being a government car and on top of everything, was met with traffic that should have been nonexistent at 5 in the morning for a 3 hour drive home. It was starting to piss him off that it had taken this long to even get in his car, let alone only get 10 minutes from the airport before he was met with traffic that seemed to get slower with every passing breath. He knew Mary would be upset that he had taken this long to get back, but would more than likely make him stop to get her food since she was probably on his couch waiting for his, 'scrawny ass to not die on the drive back'. He smiled at the thought of the backwards attempt to say that she missed him and hoped he was safe. When it seemed that every driver had given up on moving an inch every 5 minutes, he plugged his iPod into the car to the song he had listened to on the plane. He smiled, and went through his pictures on it to find the one thing that always made him smile no matter what mood he was in. As he found it, he traced the familiar nose and cheeks she had and felt a painful ache in his chest at just how long it's been since he's seen her. He was startled out of his remembrance when a car honked to signal that traffic was moving much faster now. He started to weave in and out trying to get as far as he could because his longing to see her was making him physically ill.

_So I'm going home,  
Back to the place where I belong,  
And where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from.  
No, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old,_

As Marshall pulled up to the sunshine building, he was ready to heave something just to here a satisfying crash or whatever it managed to hit. It was 9:55, and he was supposed to have been at home sleeping if it wasn't for Stan calling him in to finish one last detail before he got 2 days off. As he swiped his card to get into the office, he shot Stan a look that said more than words could; that 'this better not take longer than 10 minutes'. Standing in the middle of the office was Stan, starting in on what he wanted from Marshall before he got a really good look at him. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair sticking up in every direction as if he ran his hands through it one too many times, and his shirt was wrinkled, and unbuttoned to reveal a tank top. Stan took a deep breath and told Marshall the best news he's heard in over 24 hours;

"Go home Marshall. I don't think Mary would appreciate it if I delayed you much longer"

Speaking for the first thing in what felt like days, Marshall smiled a genuine smile of thanks as he replied,

"It's not her you should worried about" and laughed before he all but raced down the stairs, not even pausing to wait for the elevator.

_Be careful what you wish for,  
'Cause you just might get it all.  
You just might get it all,  
And then some you don't want.  
Be careful what you wish for,  
'Cause you just might get it all.  
You just might get it all, yeah._

Parking in his driveway, Marshall took all the strength he had in him to relax and not show Mary how anxious he really was to be home and see her. He's been parked for about ten minutes, and knows that if he doesn't relax he may actually pull something getting inside. Just as he was about to contemplate how much that would actually hurt, his cell phone rang and made his heart rate double. He flipped it open and immediately smiled as he heard the voice on the other end.

"You coming in Doofus, or do I have to send out my guards to drag you in?" she said, and he could hear her smirk

"No guards out here, but maybe once I'm inside" she was just about to ask why when he hung up on her and heard him putting his key in the lock.

She looked up from her seat on the couch and met tired blue eyes that seemed to sparkle through the exhaustion. She got up off the couch with half of everything that Marshall needed right there in her arms.

"Daddy!" his daughter cried as she squirmed to get out of her mother's arms to reach her father. He took her and gave her a hug holding onto her for dear life as she watched him pull back to look in her eyes.

"How's daddy's princess? Were you good for mommy?"

She gave him a big smile complete with a missing front tooth that almost every 5 year old has.

"Mhmm. Wuv you daddy" she said as she threw her little arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Love you too sweetheart" he whispered. Mary saw him tear up, and decided it was time for reinforcements and a little change in pace.

"Izzy, can you go get Jr. so he can say hi to daddy too?"

"Ok!" she said as she raced as fast as her little legs could carry her to get her twin brother who was watching cartoons.

Watching their daughter disappear around the corner, she felt Marshall turn her and put his hands on her hips as she put hers around his neck.

"Tough transfer?"

"Yeah, I missed Iz and Jr. like crazy this time, but I think I missed you just a little more…" he said as he leaned in to kiss her. They lost themselves in their kiss as their tongues met for the first time in about a week, before they heard giggling from Isabella and gagging noises from Jr. Pulling apart from one another, Mary stepped back as Marshall Jr. ran full speed to have her husband catch him in midair.

"Hey buddy, did you have fun with mommy and Iz?"

"Yeah, me miss you daddy" he said as he gave his father a hug much like the one his sister had given him moments before.

"I missed you too kiddo" he whispered again, his voice cracking as he sat on the couch, son on his lap with his daughter to his left and his wife to his right. Mary grabbed his hand and threaded their fingers together, feeling him trace the outlines of her wedding band much like every time they've had a hard day at work.

He looked down at his twins, his baby girl looking just like him, but with amazing green eyes just like her mother and a stubborn streak to match. Her brother on the other hand, looked just like his Mary, but had his amazing blue eyes and tendency to read everything he could and tell them about it at random moments. He remembered the first time his son did that, and exactly what Mary said,

"Oh great, as if you being an encyclopedia wasn't enough Jr.'s gonna have the same habit"

"You know it's what you love about me"

"Yeah, but I was really hoping my son wouldn't be socially awkward…"

"Hey!"

"No offense Doofus, but come on" she said as she kissed him to ease her gentle teasing of his intelligence. He remembered that weekend a few months ago, and now felt Mary pulling him back.

"Hey, you're home" she whispered, and all he did was smile.

_Oh, well I'm going home,  
Back to the place where I belong,  
And where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from.  
No, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old.  
I said these places and these faces are getting old,  
So I'm going home.  
I'm going home._


End file.
